Former Pastors
From our first pastor, David Byerly, to our current pastor, James Washington, Pleasant View has always been devoted to teaching the Word of God to members and visitors.
David Byerly
David Byerly was born in Allen County, Ohio, August 2, 1863, the son of George and Sarah (Miller) Byerly. He married Mary Catherine Roeder December 25, 1887. There were nine children: Lela, Nina, Glen, Paul, Cary, Archie, Pauline, Mary Cathryne, Rena, and David R. David was a farmer and school teacher (8 years). He was called to the ministry by the Sugar Creek Church on March 25, 1898 and was ordained an elder on August 17, 1912. He served the Pleasant View Church as well as Sugar Creek. He was on the Board for the Old Folks Home at Fostoria. He was an elder of several area churches. He served on Standing Committee at least twice (1914 and 1923) and was Writing Clerk of the District Meeting five times and Moderator twice (1921 and 1923). He died June 11, 1943.
Noah I Cool
Noah I. Cool, the son of Philip and Anna Cool, was born March 3, 1865, in Augusta County, Virginia. He married Ida Mae Leedy, on August 17, 1889. Their children were William, Glenn, Florence, Ruth, and Mabel. N. I. Cool was a farmer and preacher, serving mostly in the Sugar Creek and Pleasant View churches. At various times he was elder of the Sugar Creek, Pleasant View, Bellefontaine, Portage, and Hicksville churches. He was active on district boards and committees. He died June 19, 1951 and is buried at the Lewis Grove Cemetery near the Pleasant View Church.
Joseph Wampler
Joseph Daniel Wampler, born on February 18, 1876, came to Allen County from Virginia in the 1890s. On December 2, 1900 he married Berta E. Weaver, the daughter of Jacob Weaver. Their children were John, Rhea, Jacob, Joseph, Irene, and Eva. Joseph served the Pleasant View Church as a minister, first chorister, and first church clerk. About 1920 he rented his farm and with his family returned to Virginia where he died
March 21, 1962.
Walter Landes
Walter D. Landes was born April 6, 1890 in Allen County, Ohio. He was the son of Emmett and Edna (Leedy) Landes. On June 12, 1912 he married Nina E. Byerly, daughter of David and Mary Byerly. They had four childen, Miriam (born October 30, 1914), Lester (born December 31, 1917), Marjorie (born June 26, 1922), and Joan (born October 14, 1929). Walter was a farmer and also taught school for 10 years. His pastoral work includes service at the Marion, Pleasant View, Sugar Creek, Lima, and County Line churches, all in Northwestern Ohio. He died in 1957.
Ira Clifford Paul
Clifford, the son of Edward and Mary Ellen (Bowman) Paul, was born February 9, 1898 in Carrol County, Illinois "Milledgeville". He married Ruth Fouts, daughter of David Fouts, on June 8, 1922. They had three children: Mary Wilberta (Boone) (born December 3, 1932), Rowena Jean (Perkins)(born July 15, 1937), and Preston Renwyck (born September 24, 1941). In Northwestern Ohio he served as pastor of the Pleasant View Church for eight years (1929-1937). He was a school teacher for many years. After he left Ohio in 1942 he held pastorates in Illinois and Pennsylvania. From May 1, 1954 to May 30, 1961 he was Superintendent of the Home for the Aging at Windber, Pennsylivania. Clifford died October 24, 1965 and was buried at Mount Morris, Illinois.
Clarence R. Bowman
Clarence was born September 19, 1903 in Franklin County, Virginia, the son of Joseph and Mary Susan (Barnhart) Bowman. He married Idell Cover, daughter of Solomon Lesie and Dulcie Lovie (Williams) Cover on May 22, 1932. They had three children: Robert C. (born April 26, 1934), Beverly Ann (born April 26, 1938), and John David (born April 8, 1945). After his family moved to Union Bridge, Maryland, in 1920, Clarence attended and graduated from Blue Ridge Academy in 1925. He also graduated from Bridgewater College in 1929 and Bethany Seminary in 1932. Mary Cover graduated from the Sacred Music Course at Bethany in 1932 and received her college at Bluffton College in Ohio. Clarence was licensed to the ministry in 1928, ordained in 1930, and made an elder in 1937. In Northwestern Ohio he served as pastor of the Pleasant View Church from 1938 to 1945. During this time he was very active on district boards and committees. Before coming to Pleasant View, Clarence had served pastorates in Myersville, Maryland and Christianburg, Virginia. Later he held pastorates at Roxbury in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, San Diego, California, Staunton, Virginia, Unitly, near Broadway, Virginia, and Tampa, Florida.
Clarence died on April 19, 1998
Edgar Petry
Edgar, pastor of Pleasant View from 1946 to 1955 was born August 14, 1917 at West Manchester, Ohio, the son of Walter A. and Ola Petry. On August 14, 1938 he married Mary Elizabeth Beasley, daughter of Charles and Ethel Beasley. Their children are Edgar, Jr. (born November 24, 1940), Judith Ann (born July 18, 1944), and Stephen L. (born March 3, 1946). While in Allen County, Edgar was active in district and regional work and was a member of the Administrative Committee of the Ohio Council of Churches. He was also a trustee of Manchester College. He was also pastor at Cedar Grove (1941-1946) and East Dayton (1955-1962) in Ohio, New Paris, Indiana (1962-1969) and Oak Grove, Roanoke, Virginia (1969-1982). After retiring in 1983, Edgar died in 1985.
Roger Sappington
Roger, pastor at Pleasant View Church from 1955 to 1958, was born March 6, 1929 at Avon Park, Florida. His parents were Ross F. and Beulah (Snader) Sappington. He married LaVerle Hochstetler, daughter of Melvin and Florence Hochstetler, on June 5, 1949. Their children are Charlotte (born May 13, 1953), David (born October 10, 1957), Paul (born November 11, 1962), and Mark (born April 9, 1965). Roger had been a teacher at Bridgewater College from 1958 to 1989. He is the author of many books and articles relating to Brethren life and history. He has been a member of National Historical Committee of the Church of the Brethren for many years and was chairman 1958-1963 and 1970-1973. He died March 19, 1989.
David Wampler
David was born December 16, 1901 near Harrisonburg, Virginia. He married Elizabeth Kiracofe September 18, 1932. David and Elizabeth had five children: Donald, Dale, Wilma Jean, Melvin, and James. Coming from Petersburg, West Virginia, David was a pastor at Pleasant View from 1958 to 1965. He had a number of other pastorates, chiefly in Virginia. David died on February 6, 1993.
Rommie Moore
Rommie was born in Stuart, Virginia, October 14, 1929 to Charles and Willie R. Moore. He has a B.A. from Bridgewater College, a M. Div. degree from Bethany Seminary and a Doctor of Ministry from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. In 1955 he married Ellen Royer and their children are Ronald, 1961, Robert, 1964, and Mary, 1966. He served Church of the Brethren pastorates at Freeport, Michigan and Middlebury, Indiana before coming to Pleasant View from 1965-1969. Rommie then went to Cascade Christian Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan and then served the First Church of the Brethren, Akron, Ohio. He also spent ten years as Youth Director of the Y.M.C.A. and was very active in the Boy Scouts and the local Rotary Club. Rommie died on
July 5, 2005.
Roger Eberly
Roger was born December 24, 1942 in Wayne County, Ohio. He graduated from Ashland College in 1965 with an A.B. degree in psychology and math and later from Ashland Seminary with a M. Div. degree. On August 25 he married Miriam Dohner. Their three children born at Pleasant View were Stephen, July 23, 1969, died July 24, 1969, Amy, 1970, and Andrew, 1972. Roger served his first pastorate at Pleasant View from 1969-1973. He then served a yoked parish in Virginia; Cedar Grove Church of the Brethren, and Valley Central United Church of Christ from 1973-1979 and then Bethel Church of the Brethren, Milford, Indiana, 1980-1986. In 1984 Roger and Miriam visited Nicaragua with Witness for Peace.
Paul Myers
Paul was born August 27, 1937 at Fostoria, Ohio. He married Ella Lambert on December 28, 1957. In 1963 he graduated from McPherson College. Their children are Cheryl, Aaron, and Brenda. He served pastorates at Allison Prairie, Lawrenceville, Illinois from 1964-1967, Walnut Grove, Olney, Illinois (yoked) January 1967 to August 1967; Piney Creek, Maryland 1967-1973, Thurmont, Maryland (yoked) 1969-1972. In Ohio, Paul served at Pleasant View from 1973-1978, Freeburg, Paris, Ohio from 1979-1982 and at Maple Grove in Ashland, Ohio. He has served on hte Camp Board nominating committee, District Board, and the Good Shepherd Home Board. In 1980 Paul was moderator of District Conference and Conference Manager in 1974, 1985, 1988, and 1989. He has been chairman of the District Ministry Commission, Chaplain at Samariton Hospital, chairman of Ashland County Food Bank Board, and is active in other county church programs. Paul was the Standing Committee Delegate from 1989-1990.
C. Eugene Lenker
Eugene was born in Greenville, Ohio, February 24, 1923 to Gerald and Ruth DeWeese Lenker. He married Hannah Withersgrew, December, 21, 1944. After graduating from Manchester College and Bethany Seminary, he was licensed and ordained at the Pleasant Valley Church in Southern Ohio. He received his Eldership from the Snow Creek Church in the Virginia District where he served as District Moderator. He was the first Pastor in starting the Rocky Mt. Virginia Church. Eugene and Hannah served Pleasant View from 1979-1983. They were the parents of six sons and 17 grandchildren. Eugene died on January 29, 2017.
John Mummert
John was born May 26, 1948 at Fort Collins, Colorado. His parents are Harold and Orphea Mummert. He graduated from Colorado Theological Seminary in 1973. John served Church of the Brethren pastorates at Cushing, Oklahoma, Phoenix, Arizona, and Garden City, Kansas before coming to Pleasant View in 1983. John served Pleasant View until 1998. His children from a previous marriage are Peter, Sarah, and Anne. John is married to Regena Koontz and their children are Jeremy and Matthew. He has been a member of the Allen County Ministerial Association.
Kathleen (Barkley) Brinkmeier
Kathleen was the first of five children born to Howard Robert and Gaynelle Fyock. She was born Jan. 28, 1944, in Gates Hospital, Indiana. Kathleen graduated from Purchase Line High School in 1960. Answering God’s call to full-time service, she later earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy and religious studies at Juniata College in Huntington. Her ordination to ministry and degree in theology/theological studies was attained from Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership/Bethany Theological Seminary, Richmond, Indiana. Kathleen was pastor at Pleasant View from 1998-2002. Kathleen married Kyle Brinkmeier in 2002. Kathleen also enjoyed the privilege of serving the congregations of Rockford COB, Rockford, Ill., and the Florence and Van Brocklin United Methodist Churches of Freeport, Ill. Together, she and Kyle shared the gospel and God’s love on mission trips and work camps to Honduras and Africa. They have also served through the Way of Christ Ministries Outreach. Kathleen died on February 23, 2019.
Mark Bowyer
Mark Bowyer and his wife Lesley served at Pleasant View from 2002-2012.
Les Bartley
Les Bartley and his wife Jeannine served Pleasant View from 2013-2016.
Byron Hawbecker
Dr. Byron Hawbecker was born on October 2, 1935 in Lanark, Illinois to the Merle and Cora Hawbecker.
On June 24, 1961 Byron married Anita M. Luxmore.
Dr. Hawbecker was a Professor of Organic Chemistry at Ohio Northern University, Ada starting in 1964 and retiring as the Dean of the Getty College of Arts & Science in 2004. He previously worked in Chemical Research, including B.F. Goodrich and held multiple patents. Dr. Hawbecker served as Interim Pastor at Pleasant View from 2016-2018. He died on June 28, 2020.
James Washington
James Washington and his wife Sandra have been serving Pleasant View since 2019.